Manufacturing method for portable data carriers

ABSTRACT

A method for manufacturing a portable data carrier by means of a continuous manufacturing method, comprises the steps: providing at least one foil as a rolled good, unrolling at least one first foil, with at least a first foil being coated at least partly with an adhesive on at least one side, with at least the first foil being scored on at least one side along at least one creasing edge, with at least the first foil being folded up in precise fit along at least one creasing edge and bonded, with the foil being folded up in the direction of the side which is coated with adhesive, with the side coated with adhesive being arranged on the opposite side of the foil which has at least one scored creasing edge along which it is folded.

BACKGROUND

The invention describes a manufacturing method for portable datacarriers.

Portable data carriers, such as for example SIM cards, credit cards,health cards, identity cards etc. are usually manufactured by aninjection molding method or a lamination method.

SIM cards are normally manufactured by an injection molding method whichis very expensive and means a high material expenditure. The highexpenditure is due to the fact that SIM cards are often broken off fromcards in ID-1 format. Therefore, the largest part of the ID-1 card isthrown away after the breaking off of the SIM card. Furthermore, themanufacture of, for example, credit cards is more or less a single-pieceproduction. The quasi single-piece production entails a sequentialmanual processing which is very time-intensive and cost-intensive.

When portable data carriers are manufactured by means of laminationmethod, due to high temperatures, e.g. between 120 and 160 degreesCelsius, and high pressures, e.g. between 100 and 250 bar, thecomponents of the data carrier are subjected to a high load. This oftenleads to a damage of the components, such as for example antenna coils,chips. Components sensitive to such loads, such as for example displayelements, therefore cannot be processed by means of a lamination method.Further, the lamination method takes a relatively long time until thedifferent foil layers have permanently combined under pressure andtemperature.

From the prior art there is known a method for manufacturing a portabledata carrier by means of a continuous manufacturing method which as afirst step provides at least one foil as a rolled good and unrolls atleast one first foil for the method. The at least one first foil iscoated at least partly with an adhesive on at least one side. Theadhesive may be liquid or paste-like. Further, the adhesive may beprocessed e.g. also in the form of a double-sided adhesive tape or inany other suitable form. Then, at least the first foil is scored on atleast one side along at least one creasing edge. After scoring, at leastthe first foil is folded up in precise fit along at least one creasingedge and bonded. In doing so, the foil is so folded that the foil isfolded in the direction of the side which is coated with adhesive. Theside coated with adhesive here is arranged on the opposite side of thefoil which has at least one scored creasing edge along which it isfolded. In the end, at least one data carrier is detached from the atleast one folded and bonded foil, e.g. by means of a laser or a punch ora water jet.

A disadvantage of the prior art is that accordingly manufactured datacarriers can be easily forged.

SUMMARY

Starting out from the prior art, it is the object of the invention tofind a solution which avoids the disadvantage described above.

For achieving the object the invention discloses a method formanufacturing a portable data carrier by means of a continuousmanufacturing method, comprising the steps:

-   -   providing at least one foil as a rolled good,    -   unrolling at least one first foil,    -   with at least the first foil being coated at least partly with        an adhesive on at least one side,    -   with at least the first foil being scored on at least one side        along at least one creasing edge,    -   with at least the first foil being folded up in precise fit        along at least one creasing edge and bonded,    -   with the foil is folded up in the direction of the side which is        coated with adhesive,    -   with the side coated with adhesive being arranged on the        opposite side of the foil which has at least one scored creasing        edge along which it is folded,    -   which is characterized by the fact that on at least one foil at        least a part of a security element and/or at least one security        element is arranged on an arbitrary side of the foil.

An advantageous embodiment example is that the security element isprocessed by feeding it from a roll or as a bulk material.

Another advantageous embodiment example is that the security element isincorporated into an area of the foil, which is coated with adhesive.

Another advantageous embodiment example is that the security element isembossed into at least one foil of the data carrier.

Another advantageous embodiment example is that the security element isarranged on at least one outer side of the data carrier and/or in theinterior of the data carrier.

Another advantageous embodiment example is that the security elementeffects a chemical reaction.

Another advantageous embodiment example is that a scented lacquer, acolor indicator, a catalyst or a test strip is used as a securityfeature which effects a chemical reaction.

Another advantageous embodiment example is that the security elementeffects an optical reaction.

Another advantageous embodiment example is that a self-luminous ink, asecurity thread, champs or metal pigments are used as a security featurewhich effects an optical reaction.

Another advantageous embodiment example is that the security elementeffects a haptic reaction.

Another advantageous embodiment example is that a logo or a Braillecharacter is used as a security feature which effects a haptic reaction.Advantageously, the security features effecting a haptic reaction areembossed into a foil.

Another advantageous embodiment example is that the adhesive itselfincludes at least a part of a security feature and/or at least onesecurity feature.

Another advantageous embodiment example is that a foil is used whichincludes at least a part of a security feature and/or at least onesecurity feature on at least one surface and/or in its interior.

Further, for achieving the object the invention discloses a data carrierwhich is manufactured according to the method described above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiment examples of the invention are hereinafter described in moredetail with reference to the attached figure.

FIG. 1 in principle shows the procedure of folding a foil according tothe invention with reference to a two-step folding for manufacturing adata carrier. Although, a single-step or multi-step folding is alsopossible.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 in principle shows the procedure of folding a foil 2 according tothe invention with reference to a two-stage folding. A foil 2 istransported in the direction of machine operation 4 during the method.The foil 2 here has three regions 6, 8 and 10. Each of the regions 6 and10 has several gaps 12 and 14 which were punched into the foil 2. Thegaps 12 and 14 serve for the formation of a gap, into which a module,e.g. a chip module, is inserted. The regions 6 and 8 are coated withadhesive. Before the foil 2 is folded according to the invention, twoscored lines 16 and 18 are scored into the foil 2 to facilitate thesubsequent folding. First, the region 10 is folded in the direction 20along the scored line 18, so that the region 10 comes to lie in precisefit on the region 8 coated with adhesive and is bonded thereto. Theresulting region 22 is two-ply and has the gaps 14 at its surface. Next,the region 6 is folded in the direction 24 along the scored line 16 inprecise fit onto the region 22 and bonded thereto. The result is now athree-ply foil in the region 26. The regions 6, 8 and 10 were folded inprecise fit onto each other and bonded together, so that, for example,the gaps 12 and 14 have come to lie exactly one above the other.Tensions in the resulting card cancel each other out by an odd-numberedfolding, e.g. single or triple folding in the method according to theinvention. The orientations possibly present in the at least one foilcancel each other out by folding according to the invention. A resultingbulge or a distortion of the product is avoided thereby. In addition tothe method described above it is possible to introduce in precise fitand to also bond a further foil during the folding. Therefore,constructions made of several foil layers and adhesive layers arerealizable. This is interesting in particular when gaps in differentplanes, independent of the material thickness of a foil, are necessary.At the end of the method at least one data carrier, e.g. a SIM card or acredit card is punched out from the at least one folded and bonded foil.Alternatively to the punching, any other suitable method can be used forseparating data carriers from the folded and bonded foil, e.g.separating by means of laser or water jet.

According to the invention, during the above-described procedure offolding at least one foil 2 at least one security element is arranged onat least one outer side and/or in the interior of the data carrier to bemanufactured. For reasons of clarity, a representation of a securityelement in FIG. 1 has been omitted.

The security element is supplied to the procedure described above from aroll or as bulk material.

The security element is supplied such that it is incorporated into anarea 6, 8 of the foil 2, which is coated with adhesive.

Alternatively, the security element may be embossed into at least onefoil 2 of the data carrier.

The security element may effect a chemical, optical or haptic reactionwhen used.

As a security feature which effects a chemical reaction there may beused, for example, a scented lacquer, a color indicator, a catalyst or atest strip.

As a security feature which effects an optical reaction there may beused, for example, a self-luminous ink, a security thread, champs ormetal pigments.

As a security feature which effects a haptic reaction with a user of thedata carrier there can be used, for example, a logo or a Braillecharacter.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for manufacturing portable datacarriers, the method comprising the steps: providing a first foil as arolled good, unrolling the first foil, coating, at least partially, atleast one side of the first foil with an adhesive, performing a firstscoring that includes scoring the first foil on at least one side alonga first creasing edge between a first area and a second area, performinga first folding that includes folding the first foil in precise fitalong said first creasing edge, said precise fit being that first gapsprovided in the first foil in the first area align with predeterminedpositions in the second area, the first foil being folded in a directiontoward said at least one side that is coated with said adhesive, bondinga surface of the first area to a surface of the second area in saidprecise fit to form a two-ply area, and arranging a security element orat least a part of a security element on the first foil, wherein themethod is a continuous production method such that a plurality ofportable data carriers are produced without interruption.
 2. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the security element is processed byfeeding it from a roll or as a bulk material.
 3. The method according toclaim 1, wherein the security element is incorporated into an area ofthe foil, which is coated with adhesive.
 4. The method according toclaim 1, wherein the security element is embossed into at least one foilof the data carrier.
 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein thesecurity element is arranged on at least one outer side of the datacarrier or in the interior of the data carrier.
 6. The method accordingto claim 1, wherein the security element effects a chemical reaction. 7.The method according to claim 6, wherein a scented lacquer, a colorindicator, a catalyst, or a test strip is used as the security elementwhich effects a chemical reaction.
 8. The method according to claim 1,wherein the security element effects an optical reaction.
 9. The methodaccording to claim 8, wherein a self-luminous ink, a security thread,champs or metal pigments are used as the security element which effectsan optical reaction.
 10. The method according to claim 1, wherein thesecurity element effects a haptic reaction.
 11. The method according toclaim 10, wherein a logo or a Braille character are used as the securityelement which effects a haptic reaction.
 12. The method according toclaim 1, wherein the adhesive itself includes at least a part of thesecurity element or at least one security element.
 13. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein a foil is used which includes at least apart of the security element or at least one security element on atleast one surface or in its interior.
 14. The method according to claim1, further comprising forming said first gaps in the first area of saidfirst foil.
 15. The method according to claim 1, further comprisingperforming a second scoring that includes scoring said first foil on atleast a second side along a second creasing edge between the second areaand a third area.
 16. The method according to claim 15, furthercomprising performing a second folding that includes folding said firstfoil in precise fit along said second creasing edge such that gapsprovided in the third area align with said first gaps arranged in thetwo-ply area; and bonding a surface of the third area to a surface ofthe two-ply area in said precise fit to form a three-play area whereinthe first gaps and second gaps are superimposed such that a chip modulecan be inserted into an opening formed by each superimposed first gapand second gap.
 17. The method according to claim 16, further comprisingforming said first gaps in the first area of said first foil.
 18. Themethod according to claim 17, further comprising forming said secondgaps in the third area of said first foil.
 19. The method according toclaim 1, wherein a total number of foldings performed in the method isan odd number.
 20. The method according to claim 1, wherein the methodis a continuous production method such that each of the steps includingsaid unrolling the first foil, said performing the first scoring, saidperforming the first folding, and said bonding the surface of the firstarea to the surface of the second area in exact register arecontinuously performed on the first foil without interruption.